Lost
by Syaoran and Dracen Uchiha
Summary: He was lost. Wandering aimlessly in the dark abyss of the world. What else was there to light the way for him? Nothing. He was alone. Cold. Deprived. And most of all, lost. Rated M for violence and gore and citrus. Sasunaru.
1. Chapter 1: Lonely

**Lost**

By Syaoran

SasuNaru

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><p>He was lost. Wandering aimlessly in the dark abyss of the world. What else was there to light the way for him? Nothing. He was alone. Cold. Deprived. And most of all, lost. It didn't seem like it, but what everyone else saw was different. They saw a happy, bright kid. But if they looked closer, had really truly looked closer, they would notice that his smiles never quite reached his eyes. Dullness was always present in those sky-blue cerulean eyes. The happiness was fake. But almost everyone that knew him thought he was a happy kid. Others knew him as the kid with a crappy life. The one that no one wanted. Some knew him as the kid with ADHD. An orphan, unappreciated in the society, where everyone else was fine. With a family. Loving parents, someone to go home to. Someone to talk to.<p>

But Naruto had no one. No such person, or anyone in his life that understood him. Yes, he was an orphan. But it didn't mean that he had killed his parents. That was the rumor. That when he was little, he somehow murdered his parents. But he did no such thing. When they saw the blood that stained his hands red, they thought he was the killer. When they saw the whisker like scars on his cheeks, they assumed it was nothing but mere, negligible scratches. Such lies. If only they knew.

If only they knew. Then he wouldn't be treated like scum. Looked down at, hated, and shunned. Those blue eyes had long since glazed over, years ago. The light in them lost in the wind. That night was the night that his parents, life, and entire existence were taken away. Thrown out into the streets. Naruto Namikaze was no longer. To try and escape the burden, the orphanage changed his last name to Uzumaki. His mother's last name, which wasn't well known. But it slightly eased the pain he felt. And the Namikaze's namesake continued, yet hidden away from the rest of the world. Naruto gradually forgot the life he had before he turned six. Only the memory of the killing remained. Under iron walls, in the deepest recess of his mind. And those lost memories. They were buried even deeper. Deeper than he could remember, at least, any more.

Now, he was under the care of his godfather, Jiraiya, the oh-so-famous porn novel writer and pervert. It was, so to say, slightly unnerving to live with him. But Jiraiya provided him with the fatherly care that he lacked, especially when he was in the orphanage. He gave Naruto what he needed, and raised him with care, teaching Naruto about life. Those lessons gave Naruto the insight into the world. Gave him wisdom. But it couldn't stave off the loneliness. That was the only thing that Jiraiya couldn't give him. Someone he could trust completely with all his life. Jiraiya wasn't always there. He traveled, and he wasn't home, sometimes for months on. So, Naruto had the house all to himself. The money was provided. He lived a rather comfortable life. With the hardships that he went through, he appreciated the life and everything he did have. But he was lost. The Naruto that people knew years ago was gone. He was now just a shell. A barrier. A wall. Closed off to the world.

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><p>As the years passed, he floated along by himself. A solitary figure in the world. Then Jiraiya bought Naruto a home of his own. In the city of Konoha. He went to middle school, where he met Kiba. A friend. Someone who became someone dear and close to him. His barriers lowered a bit. Then onto high school. Leaf High School. There, he met the rest of the gang. His first year had just ended. Now, his friends were Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Lee, Sai, Neji, Chouji, and Gaara. A close bunch, they had become. With them, Naruto felt a little bit more comfortable, and not as lonely. He finally opened up to the world, and promised himself not to shut himself off again. He would live a full and happy life, like what his parents might've wanted him to have. Finally, he cast away the wall that barred him from the world. Let go in the last few weeks of school. He finally let himself have some fun with his friends. Now, it was July. The summer before the second year of high school.<p>

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><p>Naruto groaned. He plopped himself onto the chair on the front patio of his little home. It was a spacious house, at the top of a hill. He now lived in the same neighborhood as the rest of the gang. But they lived on the other road. They lived on Leaf Avenue. He lived on the hill, somewhat far from the rest. It was one of the two houses that stood there, on Blossom Court. Behind the hill were forests, with grand trees – oaks and maples – standing high and proud. If he stood on the patio and looked out forward, he could see the rest of the city, and at the high school, the tall cliff side with the faces of the Hokages carved into it. There was a place he took refuge, in the little niche hidden somewhere in the stone hair of the Fourth Hokage. He vaguely remembered that Minato Namikaze was his father, and his mother had been Kushina Uzumaki. He felt that the niche had been made for him. It was the only place he found true refuge in.<p>

It was a sweltering July day. He didn't quite enjoy the summer. So hot. Too bright and happy. But he lived. He used to hate that time of year, reminded painfully of the friends he didn't have. It changed however, when he finally became part of the gang. His friends coaxed him out of the shell. And he left that shell behind.

On this particular day, Kiba managed to convince Naruto to come to the beach with them. So, now, Naruto sat on the patio, thinking about what he should bring along. A sack, with his towel and the drinks that he offered to lug along. His swim trunks, maybe his rash guard. Sunscreen? He was already tan enough. Maybe not the sunscreen. Nothing else.

He got up, stretched, and heard a low growl. _I'm hungry. Is there any ramen left in the cupboard?_ Naruto shrugged to himself, and walked in. He walked into the kitchen, and pulled open the nearest cupboard. No ramen there. The next one? No. Finally, after about five minutes of searching, he came upon his last stash of ramen. He pulled out the cup, poured the hot water in, and waited. Then, he began eating, finishing quickly. He then threw it out, and pulled out a kunai from the small pouch on the left of his waist.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, he idly toyed with the kunai. He threw it, and arched gracefully in the air before embedding its self in the wall on the other end. He sighed. It was about time that he got a proper target and patched up the rest of the many holes and cuts in the other wall. Naruto stalked over, took the kunai, put it away, and went upstairs. His bedroom was the last one down the hallway, and was painted a bright orange with dark blue accents. Naruto walked in, and pulled open the closet doors. Orange splashes greeted him, along with the black and dark colors that also dominated his wardrobe. The clothes were surprisingly ordered neatly, and Naruto shuffled through his collection, before settling on orange swim trunks, and a change of a baggy orange t-shirt with black shorts. He threw the rest of the necessities into his bag, and ran downstairs in time to see Neji's van drive up the driveway. Kiba jumped out first.

"Finally, Naruto. For, like, maybe once, you show up to one of our wild ventures." Kiba stated with an air of hurt. Neji and Shikamaru laughed at Kiba's pitiful face, and Naruto grinned. "Not the first one. I've been to every one so far this year."

"I still have the drinks in the kitchen. Do you mind, Neji? I don't quite trust Chouji with any food." Neji nodded, and Naruto walked in, Neji close behind.

Neji curiously poked one of the slashes in the wall. "Naruto. What's with the kunai marks on the wall?" Naruto laughed. "I got bored. No better explanation."

Neji nodded, and smirked. "We all do, but you're the only one who throws kunais into the wall. Kiba destroys pillows, Chouji eats, I go kill a tree, Shika plays chess against himself, and Lee goes ranting about something that I don't care for."

Naruto laughed as the two made their way out and loaded the soda into the trunk of the van. Then he locked the door, and hopped into the can with the rest. He ended up in the second row next to Shikamaru and Kiba. Thankfully, he wasn't next to Lee. But it was bad enough with Lee in the last row. "Ah, my youthful friend! You came to join us in our journey to the beach! Yosh, I am proud. Gai-sensei will be very proud."

Naruto groaned when he heard Lee continue on with his rant. He felt bad for Gaara, who was sitting back there, and Chouji, who was in the back as well. Sai sat next to Neji. Lucky bastard. He didn't have to put up with Lee's nefarious rants. Shino sat next to Gaara. Okay. Maybe he also felt bad for Shino as well. As Lee ranted, Shikamaru snored, and Kiba tried to talk Shino into swimming. Sai drew in his notebook, and Neji rolled his eyes at the mess behind him and continued driving. Gaara pulled out a copy of Redwall and started reading, while Chouji continued to munch on the chips. Typical of their gang. And Naruto himself? He decided that he wasn't loud enough, and joined the continuous chatter with Kiba and Lee.

"Lee, I think you should give it a rest. I say that-"

"Yosh! My youthful friends, energy does not need rest! I am assured that-"

"You're invincible? Not as good as the future Hokage!"

"You? Why, Naruto, your faithful Lee will always be here to guide you.") Kiba snorted.

"I highly doubt that you'll be needed." Neji's voice joined the chatter, and everyone laughed at Lee's dejected face. Then he brightened again.

"Why, Neji-san. I'll assist you in your endeavor."

Neji glared. "You'll destroy my reputation as the perfectionist of a Hyuuga."

Sai looked up from his drawing. "It seems to me you do not agree with Lee-san. However, what Neji said is true." He held up his picture. It was a picture of Neji's car, half blown up, with Lee jumping up and down enthusiastically, and a speech bubble that had the words "I fixed his car!" inside. Everyone laughed at the picture, and even Gaara cracked a smile. That shut Lee up for quite a while, and the rest went back to their activities. Then, out of the blue, Neji spoke.

"Have you heard of the Akatsuki? Like, the high school gang over at Leaf?" Naruto nodded, while the rest looked on confusedly.

"Well, it's the main gang on the school, and it's an unspoken rule that when we reach the second year, we can form our own gang. It involves various competitions for dominance. However, it also involves risks, since there is high rivalry between the various groups. We'll be using guns. And other weapons. The strongest gang ever was the Kagekazumi gang, many years ago. Their reputation is unrivaled, even by the Akatsuki. I think they were led by Minato Namikaze." Naruto's blood froze at the mention of his father. He knew that Minato was the fourth Hokage, but _gang leader_?

"Minato? Wasn't he the fourth Hokage?" Gaara asked.

Neji nodded.

"He was. Anyways. So, the second ranked group was led by Orochimaru, and his group was Hebi. However, their reputation was destroyed when they discovered that missing high school students were murdered by Orochimaru, via experimentation. His old hideout was destroyed. No one has seen that snake since." Everyone shuddered at the mention of experimentation on humans.

Shino coughed. "Such atrocities. Though I find that becoming a gang quite an interesting idea. Risks?"

Neji glanced at us and sighed before answering. "We might get killed."

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><p>Cliffy? Maybe...<p>

Please review! ~Syaoran


	2. Chapter 2: Gangs and Nightmares

**Lost**

**A/N:** It's Dracen, and I would like to mention a thanks to my editor, Jessica-chan. Otherwise, the chapter would be kinda confuzzling.

Enjoy!

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><p>SasuNaru<p>

_Neji glanced at us __and sighed__ before answering__. "We might get killed." _

Silence reigned as everyone stopped talking. It was a relatively new concept, to be killed, when none of them had even graduated out of highschool. Shino coughed. "That's quite a reasonable risk."

Naruto shook his head. "Wait. So, you're saying that we're going to using guns? Like, anything that involves weapons?"

Neji nodded. "Though it doesn't have to be firearms. Knives and blades are fine as well."

Naruto looked disturbed for a few minutes. Neji could understand why. He understood why all of them that were here were distressed. Quite frankly, he was himself. So, he took the initiative, and spoke, breaking the silence. "So, what's the idea? We'll vote. So, those who want to stay out of this business."

No one moved. Neji sighed again. "So I'm guessing that we're going to become a new gang?"

Naruto nodded, some of his previous energy coming back. "Okay. Why not? I keep my word. Besides, I've always wanted to learn how to use weapons. Firearms, I mean. You've all seen my kitchen, right?"

Kiba laughed. "I thought you had a pet fox or something."

Naruto twitched, before lightly smacking Kiba over the head. The chatter began again, before Neji spoke again. "We'll need a name, mascot, and member qualifications. Not to mention the supposed hideout."

Shikamaru yawned. "Name? Let's go with Kitsune, and our mascot or whatever can be a fox." Naruto's face lit up, and he smiled. There were no disagreements on that, and everyone seemed pleased.

Frowns then appeared on their faces as they began thinking of a possible hideout. In the semi-urban areas, there weren't that many good ones.

A light-bulb lit up over Naruto's head. "How about my place? It's not the house I'm talking about. There are two I'm willing to suggest. One is my little niche that I found in the Yondaime's hair, the giant sculptures on the cliff face; it can at least accomodate over twenty people. The other one is this huge underground complex I stumbled over when I got bored and was looking for a good place to make a garden."

Neji nodded, a small smirk appearing on his usually emotionless face. "Both."

They reached the seaside in about less than an hour later, and Naruto bounded out, joy dancing on his face as he savored the salty tang of the air. He hadn't felt this happy before. Though he had to admit, he was usually very happy, especially since middle school. It suited him. The golden spikes and tanned skin went perfectly with the grin that graced his features almost every day.

After him, Kiba and Lee leapt out simultaneously, each trying to out run the other to the sand dunes. The rest followed out afterwards, and unloaded the trunk. Naruto slung his bag over his shoulders, and carried the many picnic baskets that Sai and Neji managed to stuff into the trunks, though Naruto wondered at the sheer amount that did get packed in. Shikamaru and Chouji followed, with the towels and blankets, while Gaara grabbed the drinks. Sai and Shino had the rest of the food, and Neji followed behind with the rest of the stuff he had brought. The place was relatively devoid of people, and the group of eight found themselves a nice spot, just above the tidal line.

As soon as the food was unpacked, everyone dove in, hungry and tired after some hard-core competitions in the waves. After swallowing the last of his seventh serving of ramen, Naruto leapt up, grabbed his surfboard, and ran for the waves. Sai did the same, and ran after Naruto. Naruto gave a laugh as he dove into the water, the water licking him and cooling him down. Then he looked back, to see Sai paddling towards him. A glint of competition flashed in Naruto's ocean blue eyes, and he paddled faster, ducking under a wave as it roared over him.

When he was far out enough, he turned the board around, and sat there, waiting for the perfect wave to come his way. The wind wove through his hair, tousling the gold spikes, and blue eyes gazed out into the water, the reflection in those eyes identical to the waters. Then, Naruto saw it. A perfect wave. Rising slowly, and growing rapidly. Naruto gently maneuvered into the right place, and stood up on his board just as the wave reached him. Immediately, he was carried away, the waves behind him curling at the tips, and he stood there, adrenaline thrumming through him.

The rest were watching, and shocked as the wave curled over Naruto, enveloping him in water. Sai could only watch as the waters swallowed him.

Naruto was in a successful tube, and the water arched over him gracefully. He was gliding faster on the board, and he could see the end of it, where the wave was threatening to collapse on him. Like a bullet, he shot out of the waves, laughing in sheer joy.

Naruto could see the relief on Sai's face as he watched Naruto paddle over. "Dude. It's not like I don't know how to surf. Unlike Neji, who wouldn't even come into the water."

The last part was loud enough for Neji to hear, and the blonde made a hasty escape as the wrath of the Hyuuga descended upon him.

Later that night, when it was dark out, everyone started packing up. All garbage was disposed of properly, and the rest of the stuff loaded into the trunks. Then, they all got onto the van, when Naruto piped up. "Why don't you guys just crash at my house?"

This suggestion was greeted with enthusiastic agreement, and Sai drove while Neji sat in the back, with Naruto and Shikamaru. Kiba sat in the front. Naruto nodded off sleepily, and fell asleep against Neji, gently snoring. Shikamaru managed a slight smile. It was no surprise that the blonde was asleep. He needed it.

They all arrived at Naruto's at midnight, and with a little prodding, got the blonde to wake up. Naruto groggily got the door open, and they all stumbled in, and followed Naruto upstairs to his room, where they all promptly crashed. Some on the floor, others on the beanbag, three on Naruto's bed, and one on the desk.

Meanwhile, the Akatsuki was planning the usual nightly raid in their hideout. Except this time, Itachi was going to remain behind. "Family matters," he said.

So while the rest were planning, Itachi stood outside, and looked up at the moon. It shone brightly against the dark sky, and reminded him of the days he and Sasuke would stay outside to look at the moon. When they were still on friendly terms. Before Itachi moved out, leaving his family. Before he joined the Akatsuki. Before Sasuke started hating him for it. Oto-san bought him his own house. It was next to Kisame's, and those two had become close friends.

Now, he was reading a letter, the only one from Sasuke that was sent in the last five years. It was written in neat script.

_Dear Aniki,_

_It's your foolish little brother, so to speak, and I still hate you for leaving us. Kaa-san died of cancer three days ago, and you weren't there for the funeral. I can't believe you weren't there. You left us for your little gang, right?_

_I'm not surprised. You don't care for anyone. Even so, I still can't fully hate you. You're my aniki, after all. I don't know why I can't do so. You were the world, and you left. Kaa-san was willing to defend you, saying that you left for an education. I don't doubt that. But now that Kaa-san is gone, Oto-san can't take care of me. He's always on those business trips. He said that if you were here, I could stay. But since you aren't, I'll have to go to a different school. So Oto-san suggested that I go to the same highschool as you for my second year. He said I should go to Konoha to pursue my studies. __T__o Konoha Leaf High. But why did you leave? WHY?_

_I can't believe I agreed to this. I don't want to leave Oto, and I want to stay with my friends, Juugo and Suigetsu. I've know them for years, and I can't just leave all of the sudden. I love the City of Sound, and I don't want to go live in a tree or a bush. Hidden Leaf? Yeah, right. _

_I think Oto-san said that he bought me a house. Like, one of my own. I guess that's what he could do, as the CEO of the Sharingan Inc. I hate asking help from you, but I ask for help now. Could you pick me up from the airport at the Valley of the End? And show me the house? I think it is 12 Blossom Court. And I'm landing on Sunday, around 3. _

_Well, I'm coming. I still will have to rant about how I can't believe I'm doing this. See you later, Aniki. _

_-Sasuke_

Itachi looked fondly at the letter, and made note to go pick Sasuke up tomorrow. 12 Blossom Court, isn't it? From what he knew, it was one of the more expensive houses, and one of the two. The other house was occupied by a solitary person as well. And it was on top of a hill. Interesting choice. Itachi smiled.

_Welcome to Leaf, foolish little brother. Soon, you'll become part of a gang, whether it be the Akatsuki or some other one. _

He was running. But the shadows danced behind him, no matter how hard he ran. It came near him, nearly grasping him, but merely toying with him. He ran harder, but could still see the fear and shock that etched its self in his parents' faces. On his father, he could see a shield of courage, but it hadn't protected him. His father, and his mother. Lost in the same day. He ran. Hard. But he wasn't getting any further. The dark shadows flitted around, taunting him. Tears slid down the innocent face, and the sobs started. Whichever direction he went, he could only be faced with his parents' dead bodies. Again. And again. And again.

The shadows started talking. Its sibilant hiss rang through the darkness. "You killed them, didn't you?" He ran harder, clapping his hands over his ears. But even so, he still couldn't block out the raspy voice. "You just had to kill them, didn't you?"

Tears flowed, unchecked. "Shut up! I didn't kill them!"

The sibilant voice was laced with poison. "Lies. Such lies."

He sobbed harder. "I DIDN'T KILL THEM!"

Neji and Shikamaru, who had been sleeping next to him, woke the instant the screaming and sobbing started. They had tried to shake him out of it, almost terrified by what they heard. Naruto became hysterical, eyes still glazed over when he finally woke. He clawed at Neji and Shikamaru, breaking down into tears. The rest of the gang had been woken up, and Kiba came over as well, restraining the blonde, desperately trying to snap him out of it. Kiba shook him, but after deciding that it was futile, he slapped Naruto hard. "NARUTO! Wake up, Kami, wake up!"

Naruto gasped, as if someone dumped cold water over him. He sat up instantly, breathing hard. He couldn't breathe. His left cheek stung, and it burned. He tried to collect his breath. He looked up, and when his vision cleared, he saw Neji, Shikamaru, and Kiba looking worriedly at him.

Kiba sighed in relief. "Man, what was that about? You scared the daylights out of me."

Shikamaru, looking slightly more alert than he usually was, sighed as well. "You better tell me what happened. You were yelling 'I didn't kill them' and crying at the same time."

Naruto looked frantic, and realized that he had been talking aloud in his nightmare. About his parents' deaths. Hell, no. He couldn't tell them. He couldn't. They very might judge him for it. "I-I can't."

The whisper was barely heard, but Kiba understood why. It was something personal. So he left it at that. "Still, Naruto. If you have anything to talk to us about, tell us. I'm not gonna ditch you for nothing."

Naruto smiled slightly. "I'll tell you three when I think it's a right time. Not now, though. Too painful."

A growl issued from Naruto's stomach, and Kiba grinned. He began dragging the blonde out of bed. "We need to talk about the new gang, after all. You don't have to tell us right now."

The four made their way downstairs, and were greeted by a somewhat tired looking group. Naruto frowned. "Everything okay?"

Gaara's face showed everything.

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><p><strong>AN:** I like leaving cliffys. Once again. Three chapters for every review. XD

I'll try to write as fast as I can.


	3. Chapter 3: Emerging Reality

**A/N:** Dracen here...Sorry for the long delay. My editor had a little mishap with the internet. Blame procrastination. T.T Thus, this was totally late, and behind. Which also prompts me to start finishing my other chapter for **Konoha Wars**. Man...I'm behind...TT-TT

To Stalker-san: Thanks for the advice! X3 Though...any good ideas on how? Cuz it's been quite a while since I last watched the anime or read the manga...or any stuff related...O.o

Yah...any helpful advice or whatnot will be greatly appreciated. Especially on personality quirks of the characters, wording, etc, etc. Many thanks to those who do!

Now...done wasting your time.

Naruto: Dracen-kun doesn't own Naruto, nor does she profit from using me and my friends...

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><p><strong>Lost<strong>

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><p>Chap. 3<p>

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><p><em>It was all etched on Gaara's face. <em>

Shino was in his usual stiff posture, glasses pushed up higher on the bridge of his nose. Sai was paler, and hunched over on the table. Lee, surprisingly, was silent. Gaara was in a foul emo mood. "Aren't we lucky?"

The other four, who were standing at the doorway, twitched. Since when did Gaara start saying how blessed they were? They became worried when Sai laughed brokenly. It was hoarse, hollow, and reminded Naruto of himself. Deep inside. Just like it. "We just got a nice little gang welcome."

Itachi and Kisame were at the gang headquarters. Pein, their ever so stoic leader, had ordered each team to go raid the houses of the rumored new gang, who Zetsu had spied on. Of those, Shino, Lee, Gaara, Sai, Kiba, Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Naruto, were all targeted and split among the teams. Itachi and Kisame had Naruto and Shikamaru. Konan and Pein had Gaara and Neji. Sasori and Deidara had Kiba. Tobi and Yahiko had Shino. Hidan and Kakuzu had Sai. Zetsu took care of Chouji.

All the houses were defaced. Windows were broken, doors, smashed, books scattered, not to mention the graffiti on the wall. Neji's had a blown up hole in the front of his yard. There were threats scrawled all over the walls, and on the remnants of the windows of Sai's home. Shikamaru's yard was trashed. Kiba's had no grass left. Naruto's home was left unscathed, only because the members were there, and because Itachi supposedly didn't want a mess next to Sasuke's new house.

Yet, that day, Chouji was the only one who went home after they came home from the beach. Sai agreed to Chouji's request, and dropped him off.

Zetsu had a reputation for killing without being asked.

It was then that Naruto noticed faint tears tracks down Lee's face. Sai looked at them with guilt laced with understanding. They could barely hear the whisper. "They took him. They took Chouji. Chouji isn't here anymore. Because I agreed to drop him off at his house last night. They killed him."

Silence rang through the dining room. Shikamaru looked aghast. "He what?"

Lee looked over forlornly. "He's dead. And our homes are all trashed and destroyed. We got a call sometime around six this morning, when Gaara was raiding the kitchen for some coffee."

Shikamaru dropped to his knees. His brown eyes were hazy, and riddled with pain. "I don't believe it."

Shino finally spoke. "Look outside the window."

Neji was there first. Shikamaru followed, a desperate gleam in his eyes. His childhood friend couldn't have died. Not now. He couldn't have died, right?

When they looked out the window, Shikamaru's hopes shattered like glass. Where Chouji's house once stood, there now stood a still flaming pile. He could see the police, the ambulance, everyone crowded around. Chouji had been sleeping. The house had been set on fire. Chouji never made it out.

Neji scanned the area, noticing the fire, and the mess they made of everyone else's home. Pale eyes narrowed in spite. Naruto came up from behind, and gasped. Kiba couldn't utter a word. Naruto's eyes glazed over. "So that's the world that we're entering."

Shikamaru stood frozen. Tears started running down his face. "Chouji…."

He collapsed on his knees, and punched the wall once, hand dragging down, leaving a bloody smear on the white wall. "He's gone. He's damn gone."

Meanwhile, at the table, Lee was also crying. He and Chouji had been on pretty good terms. Now he was gone.

Guilt weighed down on each of them. Shikamaru started sobbing, pounding the floor in desperation, as if everything was a dream, and that he could break out of it, and find Chouji waiting with a plate of freshly made cookies. "DAMNIT!"

Neji knelt down next to Shikamaru, and put his arms around Shikamaru's shoulders, quietly comforting his friend. "He may not be coming back, Shikamaru. But he'll want us to fight."

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><p>Itachi parked his black Jaguar in the allotted parking space, and got out, wearing a black suit and designer shades. He was at the airport, doing his duty as an older brother. He was supposed to pick Sasuke up, but he also had one other task to attend to. Which was why he came two hours early. Itachi had a sleek briefcase with him. Inside was something that could drive a dangerous bargain. Of course, he would have to get it past the officials first. Shouldn't be a problem.<p>

When he got inside the main building, he looked around, scanning for the location he was supposed to be at by 1:00. It was 12:50. Then he saw it. It was a small meeting room, up on the second layer. _Very subtle, Madara. I suppose we could've done just as well right in the midst of a café. Nevertheless. _Itachi sighed. He hated that bastard. He and Tobi were twins, but Tobi was kicked out of the Sharingan Inc. a long time ago. Madara was the owner of the whole damn thing. All haughty, like he could order anyone around. Now, Itachi had come back, to ask for a simple favor. He hated being submissive.

Meanwhile, Kisame was not far behind. By Itachi's request, he had also come along, just in case. He parked across from Itachi, and got out of the blue Mercedes-Benz. How he loathed leaving the sushi behind, and the soft supple sharkskin seats. Absolutely loved that car. He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out his mata policia. It was a Belgian made firearm, designed to penetrate bullet proof vests and gear. It served him well in many circumstances. He checked the cartridge, and when satisfied, slid it into a hidden pocket on the inside of his jacket.

All the while, Madara was watching from the large glass wall. He saw Itachi. He saw Kisame following behind. He smiled. Everything was as planned. Soon, he would have what he needed to perfect a simple weapon. One that he was going to use to blow up the Sound Village, along with the Oto Inc. as well. Then, there would be no more competition. He was going to own the monopoly. Madara gave a dark chuckled. "Soon."

* * *

><p>After the initial shock wore off, and everyone was calm, they became alert and aware of what was going on. They had to become an official gang, so they could avenge Chouji. But they had no damn idea what the hell they were going to do.<p>

Neji sighed, before calling everyone over to the table. "Okay. We've most definitely decided that we are to become a gang. However, we'll be needing quite some assistance. We only have a total of eight people, now that Chouji's gone, and most other groups have at least fifteen, if not more."

Shikamaru frowned, and spoke. "From Naruto, we have deuced that the Akatsuki have eleven, not counting their subordinates and acquaintances. They have resources. Which would include weapons, hideouts, etc. They're experienced, and actually know what they're doing. We have two places already secured, but we have no weapons, and no clue what we're supposed to be doing."

Until now, Naruto had been relatively quiet, but piped up when he heard the word 'weapons'. "Hey, I know where to get firearms. Though, it's an illegal line, so we have to be careful. It's a friend of mine, over at Krakura. They have gangs too."

Neji nodded. "Then that is solved, for now. Also, there is an issue on how we're using these weapons. First of all, none of us, except Naruto, have had any contact with guns, grenades, canons, whatever. We'll need training. Second, our purpose is to defeat the Akatsuki."

Sai shrugged. "We might get pulled into a different world. Which means we'll end up lost if we're not careful. Besides, we can always practice in one hideout, and leave the other one for gatherings."

Thoughtful looks greeted the latter comment. Neji shrugged. "Why not? But which one?"

Naruto frowned. "We could vote on the one to practice in. There's the one somewhere in my backyard, or hill, and there's the one up somewhere in the statues."

"The hill?"

Five hands.

"The statues?"

Two hands.

Naruto thought about it. The one in the hill was easier to attack, but invariably easier to reach, and had a much larger space for them to practice in. He hadn't gone much deeper, but there was enough room for long range practice as well. The one up in the Fourth Hokage's statue was hard to reach, easiest to defend, and smaller, though it would still allow room for furniture, ammunition and weapon storage, and food storage. "I say the hill, behind my house, for the practice one. It has more space for us to practice in, and easier to reach. It could be the secondary place, since the statues have maximum defense and best attack range. Hardly visible as well," he added.

No one argued. It was a valid point, and made perfect sense. The only thing missing were the weapons. Shikamaru groaned. "Highly troublesome. I, quite frankly, do not trust Naruto to go by himself. Even if he thinks it's safe. I say not. Someone will have to go with him."

Naruto glared. "I'm not fuckin helpless."

Shikamaru glanced at him. "Neither was Chouji."

That shut him up. "Fine. Then who do you trust?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes. "Take Neji and Kiba with you. And I promise they, meaning the rest of them, won't destroy your house. The thing is, we don't have anywhere else to go now."

Shino nodded. "At least, we'll go in groups of three to retrieve some of our property. That way, we can fully move into the other hideout, and set some parts up down in the hill. We'll just tell our parents it's a long term project for high school, full year."

Naruto and Kiba gave him a strange look. Shino never spoke so many words in one brief interlude. "Wow, Shino. You learned to talk…."

Sai snorted. "Of course. So, we'll gather what isn't destroyed and bring them in, including food and clothing, and whatever else. Furniture, books, stuff to keep us occupied-"

"The chainsaw."

Now it was Gaara's turn to be looked at weirdly. Naruto twitched. "A chainsaw, Gaara? Are you sure I'm going to allow _you_ to bring _that_ in _my_ house?"

Gaara glanced at him. "Why not?"

Naruto fumed. Neji smirked. "Can't be too bad, Naruto."

Naruto threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll let you. Just please don't destroy my garden…."

"You have a garden? Woah."

"Shut up, Kiba. At least they live. I don't have dogs peeing on them."

"So you say."

"Duh. They grow. Unlike the paintings of yours, Sai. They don't grow. And no caustic remarks, Neji."

"But Sai and Kiba are having fun. Should fate let me have some fun too?"

"NO. I'm not having you join in too."

"No worries, my youthful friend. I will do a hundred pushups if he does. Yosh!"

"Shut up."

"Naruto, mind if I let my pet bugs loose in the garden?"

"Hell no. They'll eat my tomatoes."

"Troublesome."

"Smart. You just realized."

Shikamaru sighed. They could be so immature. _Chouji would probably be talking about food now, if he was here. Damn. But there's no time to grieve. We'll get killed if we stop too. _

Gaara smirked. "It's okay, Naruto. At most, the house might get torn down."

Naruto glared. Man, they were mean. He sighed. "We better get going. You guys should practically bring everything important to living with you. Beds as well. If you need a car, there's a van in the garage."

Lee blinked at him. "What kind?"

"A van. It's a Mercedes-Benz."

Kiba whistled. "That's expensive, man. How do you manage to afford it?"

Naruto smirked. "Yeah. I did. Insert an evil laugh for me. Though, you could thank Jirayia. He offered to get me a Porsche, but the van looked better."

Neji looked over. "Give the keys to Gaara. I actually trust his driving. Meanwhile, we can also use my van. What's the other car you drive?"

"Oh. It's another Mercedes-Benz. We should use it. Has built in transport places for smuggling weapons. Toshi modified it. You'll meet him as well."

There was no further discussion, and while Shino and Shikamaru stayed, the rest set out to do their respective task.

Naruto got in the driver's seat, while Neji took the seat next to him. Kiba sat behind. Shikamaru was standing next to the car. "Shikamaru, we might be gone for a few days. There are spare beds and sheets upstairs. Be careful. Tell them to leave everything in the living room."

Shikamaru nodded. Neji frowned. "Few days? Where is Krakura?"

Naruto grinned. "Overseas. We're going to the airport."

* * *

><p>Itachi was currently sitting across from Madara. Outwardly, he was fine. Composed, calm, giving off vibes of the Uchiha charm that had several girls fainting as he made his way upstairs. Inwardly, he was loathing every second of it. Hated Madara, hated his task, hated his life at the moment. Madara looked like he was enjoying it. "So, Itachi-san. You made it safely. However, you can tell Kisame to come in as well."<p>

Outside, Kisame groaned. Once again, stealth mode failed on the Uchiha. It always worked fine with anyone else. Breathing deeply, he walked in, and stood behind Itachi.

Madara smiled. It didn't reach his eyes, which remained cold. "That's better. So, we are gathered around to discuss a simple tradeoff. Explain the situation further, Itachi."

Itachi put forth a briefcase. "On behalf of Pein-sama, I would like to request a million euro to fund our ongoing effort in the streets. This money will allow us to upgrade weapons, strengthen other aspects, and buy supplies."

Madara looked on with interest. "A million. In euro. In exchange?"

Itachi answered steadily. "For an entire unit of uranium and plutonium charges. Fully activated. Radioactive. Fully compatible with ENO253. Enough to blow up an entire town with pure ease. Even more as well."

Madara gave a thoughtful look, though they all knew it was just a pretense. "And this was developed by?"

"Developed by Sasori-san."

Madara smiled. "Simply wonderful, Itachi. A bargain quite fair, I suppose. And the quality, then, is most high, isn't it?"

Itachi nodded. Madara smiled again. "Then it is a deal, at not one million euro, but one and a half million euro. It is a small price for what's to come."

Madara handed him a black briefcase, identical to the one Itachi had with him. Itachi wordlessly slid the one containing the charges to Madara. They switched briefcases, and each stood. Itachi bowed slightly, and proceeded to walk out the room. Kisame followed. Madara watched them with amusement. "So foolish. But that isn't a matter."

Madara made his way back to the officials. When he passed by, they nodded. They only checked the one he had with him before, which was designed so that only shapes of clothing would appear on the scanning screen. They didn't bother checking twice. Now, he was off with his much needed component. A sleek limousine pulled up, windows down, with the chauffeur driving. When Madara got in, the windows were scrolled back up. The black car drove off, deadly weapon in hold.

Kisame and Itachi made their way back to their car. Kisame growled. He was extremely irritated. So was Itachi. "Damn bastard. So all high and mighty. At least we got the money."

Itachi shrugged. "I don't like it either, but we needed the money to fund Sasori's lab."

Kisame sighed. "That excuse again. I swear, this nowhere near fun. Hidan's gonna be laughing at me again. Let's go, once you pick up your little bro."

Itachi nodded his consent. Kisame paused for a moment. "By the way, why does he need those charges anyways?"

"To power a small scale nuclear bomb. ENO253."

* * *

><p>Omake: If I didn't kill Chouji...<p>

"Shut up, Kiba. At least they live. I don't have dogs peeing on them."

"So you say."

"Duh. They grow. Unlike the paintings of yours, Sai. They don't grow. And no caustic remarks, Neji."

"But Sai and Kiba are having fun. Should fate let me have some fun too?"

"NO. I'm not having you join in too."

"No worries, my youthful friend. I will do a hundred pushups if he does. Yosh!"

"Shut up."

"Naruto, mind if I let my pet bugs loose in the garden?"

"Hell no. They'll eat my tomatoes."

"Can I eat them?"

"What the hell? Never!"

"Troublesome."

"Smart. You just realized."

"I'm hungry." ...

All others: T.T

As expected...someone's hungry.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yeeaaah...So there's the third chapter. Does it make up for the delay and Chouji's murder? Please review!

~Dracen


	4. Chapter 4: Karakura!

**Lost**

Chap. 4

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Dracen: Hehehehe...so sorry for the apparent long time hiatus. I was adjusting to some minor things for the new school year. Ack, sorry for keeping you people waiting. My editor was also busy.

Okay, enough crap. Onwards!

* * *

><p><em>Itachi nodded his consent. Kisame paused for a moment. "By the way, why does he need those charges anyways?" <em>

"_To power a small scale nuclear bomb. ENO253." _

* * *

><p>Naruto, Neji, and Kiba found themselves in one of the best private jets, equipped with all things luxurious. There was a dining room, a lounge, and a spa room. How <em>that<em> managed to get fit inside the jet was a mystery, but the three were in no mood to ponder about it. Currently, Kiba was glued to the 50-inch plasma TV with an Xbox controller.

"So, Naru-chan," Kiba drawled, pausing the game before turning around, "How'd you get us such a grand jet, hmm?" (Oh look, it's Dei-chan! [is shot])

Naruto tried not to twitch at the nickname. He tried. But Naruto was never known for his patience or tolerance. He flew at Kiba, only to be dragged back by Neji. Naruto pouted, but sighed. "Fine. I'll say after you stop calling me that."

Kiba grinned. "Why, of course, Naru-chan."

Naruto hung his head in resignation. "Ugh. Stupid annoying mutt. Well, to answer your question, it's all my godfather's doing. I just have to give my name, and I get access to any private jet. Had no damn idea that porn is so popular."

Kiba laughed. "Well, there just so happens to be plenty of perverted people out there."

Neji shrugged. "By the way, Naru-chan, who's Toshi? And what exactly are we doing?"

Naruto merely shut his eyes at the pet name, which seemed to have stuck. Neji looked puzzled when Kiba burst out laughing. With a little backtracking, Neji realized that he called Naruto, "Naru-chan", and turned a slight shade of pink. "Sorry."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Since it looks like it's gonna stick, I'll just, you know, go with the flow. We're heading to Karakura, which is another city across the sea, and meeting up with an old friend of mine. He'll introduce himself, so no worries. We're getting weapons of all kinds, firearms, traditional weapons, stealth, equipment, and maybe grenades." Neji raised one eyebrow. Kiba gaped in amazement. "So your friend has an arsenal of forbidden goods?"

"I guess you could put it that way. Rangiku, Gin, and Karin also work there. You might also meet some others."

* * *

><p>In the airport back at Konoha, Sasuke got off the black jet emblazoned with the Sharingan company logo, a single black pack slung haphazardly over his left shoulder. He was wearing a simple navy blue t-shirt and tan shorts that gripped narrow hips. Something not too conspicuous. Definitely better than the random junk that Orochimaru ordered the students to wear as school uniform. He looked around. <em>So this is Konoha. Slightly warmer and more humid than I thought. Shouldn't mess with my hair gel. Hopefully. I wonder how aniki keeps his hair in perfection. <em>

His random train of thought was cut short when he promptly crashed into someone. He rubbed his head, and looked up. "Aniki!"

Itachi looked down at the mass that had collided with him, startled to see that it was Sasuke himself. His own foolish little brother. He blinked. Kisame, who didn't see Itachi stop, walked straight into Itachi, who in turn, gave a rather frosty glare at the shark man.

Kisame growled, a muffled "sorry" mumbled under his breath with a few curses which followed close behind.

The two Uchihas sighed. Itachi then looked over at his little brother. "Ah. You grew."

Sasuke glared. "That's the first thing you say after seeing me? You're an asshole."

Itachi sighed. "I love you too, Sasuke. We better get going. Pein's waiting."

Sasuke shook his head. "After you help me get my luggage."

Kisame was slightly frightened at the prospect of taking the luggage. The Uchihas were notorious for their abundance of _stuff_, so to speak.

* * *

><p>The sleek Mercedes wove its way through the city of Karakura. Kiba gaped at the skyscrapers, while Neji took note of the architecture. It was <em>nothing<em> like Konoha. Konoha was a huge city, but it took the five largest cities in world to even try to come near to the size of Karakura. It was the modern world.

People were everywhere. Some were tourists that milled about in large groups, while others were the city's inhabitants, tending to their daily lives. Shops, stores, restaurants, cafes - they all littered the huge blocks of the city.

Kiba whistled, taking in the sight set before him. "Man, I would live here if I could, but I bet those penthouses cost a fortune."

Neji nodded. "It's a great city, from what I see, and it's near the coast, so most definitely."

Naruto smirked. "We might as well stay here for a while, since we are here. Do some shopping. If you want, Neji, I can ask Ishida where the best salon is. Kiba, I think you'll want to meet Kaien. He has a pet dog."

Kiba perked up immediately. "Really? What breed?"

Naruto shrugged. "No clue."

Kiba's face fell, but he gave a shit-eating grin as a thought crossed his mind. "Too bad. Someone's quite ignorant, if that's the case."

Naruto growled. No one calls him ignorant. Especially a mutt. "It's a husky. Happy?"

Neji sighed. "Just drop it. Talk about something else. Maybe tell us where we're going?"

Kiba eyed the tall gleaming buildings. "Is it somewhere in the skyscrapers?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. The entrance is in one of the alleys. It's a simple little building that's in the back. Urahara used to own it, selling all kinds of stuff to gangs, mafias, yeah. He retired though, and he moved into one of the penthouses near the sea."

Kiba's eyes bugged out. "Dude, how much money does that guy have?"

"Enough."

Neji and Kiba both slammed their heads into the seats in front of them.

Naruto continued, acting as if he didn't see the other two bash themselves on the car seat in exasperation. "Now Toshiro owns it. He's a good friend of mine. He's kinda cold, though. He lost his sister, Hinamori, in a fire. Apparently there was a gas leak."

Kiba nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I understand. I would be like that if I lost Hana."

The car took a turn down a different street, and into one of the larger alleys, one where it was possible for a car to pass through. It was dark, musty, and was a sharp contrast from the main parts of the city. Kiba shivered. It was more menancing than the alleys in Konoha, since there weren't tall buildings that blocked out the sun. Here, though, it was hard to see, and shadows flickered across the walls. Naruto sighed. It didn't change. Even if he was gone for quite a while. After about a minute, the car drove into a small clearing of pavement. It was a dead end. A little shack stood proudly behind a tall building, and Naruto drove forward, parking across from it. He got out. "We're here."

Neji and Kiba looked at the building in slight confusion. Kiba poked Naruto. "Uh, why is there a sign saying 'Urahara's Candy Shop' on the top?"

Naruto chuckled darkly. "It's just a cover for the top weapons arsenal in the city. They do sell candy though."

The door slid open. Kiba and Neji stiffened. Naruto grinned as he turned around. The person stood there, before he walked over. "Ah, Naruto. You finally came back to visit us after a long time. I think Rangiku will murder you for this."

Naruto laughed. "Nah, Gin. We all know that Auntie Rangiku loves me too much."

The silver haired man stepped into the light, where they could see him more clearly. Gin had a fox grin on his face, giving him a sly look about him. Gin gestured towards the door. "Well, Naru-chan," he drawled, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Naruto had about three seconds to take in the fact that Rangiku was at the door, and lunging at him; then he had to decide what to do. But he couldn't choose between running or standing. Thus, he froze.

"NARU-CHAN!"

Neji cradled his head while Kiba winced at the high pitched scream. A strawberry blonde blur had latched itself on Naruto, squeezing the life out of the poor blonde.

Rangiku caught Naruto in a bone crushing hug, and smothered him. "Oh, my good lord. Naruto, you bad boy. How _dare_ you leave us, eh? You better explain yourself before I kill you."

Kiba turned red when he realized that the only reason why Naruto wasn't answering was because he was getting smothered, by Rangiku's rather large chest.

Neji noticed too, and with trepidation, "Rangiku-san, I do believe that Naruto's being choked to death."

Rangiku noticed, and quickly let go of Naruto, who had turned blue in the while. He coughed wildly, gasping for air, before attempting to regain his composure. "Hah, heh, I'm fine now. Sorry, Rangiku. I was busy, and therefore had very little time to visit. You know, it does get lonely over there."

Rangiku eyed him. "You do say, hmm? Maybe I'll bring the gang over once a while…." _And sake,_ she added mentally. Oh, the wonders of alcohol, despite the hangovers.

Naruto grinned. "Of course I say. I just, uh, had to get the house cleaned and patched up a bit."

A small memory resurfaced, and Gin nodded knowingly. "It must be your bad habit of throwing sharp things into the walls. Ran and I never fixed the ones here."

Naruto looked sheepish as Kiba laughed and Neji smirked. "Well, that's how the world goes around."

Gin beckoned them towards the building. "We're having lunch, if you'd like to join us. I do believe Yuzu's here today, so she's cooking."

Naruto cheered. There were several things about life that he actually liked. Weapons and Yuzu's cooking- something he would never miss for his life.

Rangiku and Gin brought them into the room where all were gathered. A spicy aroma wafted out of the kitchen and Naruto immediately started drooling. "Goddamnit, Yuzu, is that spicy beef ramen I smell?"

Said person walked out of the kitchen. Yuzu was wearing an apron over a bright yellow dress. Her short hair was pinned back, and she was holding a pot of steaming ramen. "Naru-nii-san! Welcome back home! I made beef ramen today."

Naruto grinned. "Yuzu-chan, do you have another pot available? I do believe there are guests, and there's not enough of one to serve me and the others together."

She laughed. "Yeah. It's in the kitchen. Why don't you guys introduce yourselves to Toshiro-kun and the rest? Ichi-nii will be back soon, with Rukia nee-chan."

The other two noticed the others in the room. Naruto smiled as he saw the occupants of the table. He gave a small flourish. "Behold, the mighty smugglers of the modern world." He gestured at the person sitting at the head of the table. "That's Histugaya Toshiro. Next to him is his girlfriend, Kurosaki Karin. To his left is Shiba Kaien, and next to Kaien is Abarai Renji. Next to Karin is Yamada Hanataro."

Toshiro stood up stiffly. "It's Histugaya-taicho."

Rangiku gave a stern glance over. "But taicho, let them be. What wrong if they miss a title or two?"

He huffed. "Fine."

Karin grinned. "Yo. I'd apologized for Shiro-chan's behavior, but-"

Renji cut in, grinning. "It would be a waste of time, since he's always like that."

Hanataro gave a shy smile. "P-please to meet you. I hope you enjoy it here."

Kaien gave a sharp salute. "Hey."

Neji took this to introduce himself as well. "Hyuuga Neji, pleased to meet you. Next to me is Inuzuka Kiba, who's a dog at heart."

Kiba glared. "Look who's calling me a mutt, damnit."

Kaien grinned. "A dog, eh? I have one."

"You do? I think Naruto said you had a husky, right?"

"Yeah. Her name's Tsubame, but we sometimes call her Sushi."

Neji had a slight tick. "You named a husky 'swallow', after a bird, and you nicknamed her after raw fish?"

Kaien shrugged as Renji and Karin laughed. "It's a nice name, and we named her Sushi because she likes it. There's no other reason to this. Sushi!"

A large husky bounded into the room, tongue hanging out, and large white fluffy tail wagging furiously. Dark, intelligent eyes looked at everyone. Sushi gave a bright woof.

Kiba was immediately taken to the dog. "Man, Kaien, that dog is a beauty. D'awww, you cute little thing, you good girl. I think Akamaru will like you a lot!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So...Sushi's on da loose!

Yeah...any out there who's good at drawing dogs? I was wondering if anyone could draw a picture of Sushi...'Cuz I evidently do not quite draw anything manga personlike that's really good. Yeah.

The reward if some kind soul does this?

Well...Maybe I'll blackmail Tatushiro...or Syaoran, and have them write a oneshot that they would like. Any pairing, except NaruSaku. I strictly believe that they are only in a sister-brother relationship. Oh, and the mangas open for selection include Naruto, Bleach, FMA, and Tsubasa.

Purely just for fun... Pm any questions...

Okay?

Oh, and there's a button near the bottom of the page that says "Review". Any incentive? Please? Reviews are like chocolate...

Ciao~


	5. Chapter 5: Yuzu's Ladle

**A/N:** Without further delay...I present the 5th chapter of _Lost_...[is shot.]

Dracen: Alas, it has been a long time...I apologize for the evident delay...T.T Forgive me? But that's still your decision, so let me be.

Also, for those of you who like to put their advice...should I make this a crossover fic? I'll put up a poll if necessary.

Well, read and enjoy~

* * *

><p><strong>Lost<strong>

Chapter 5

* * *

><p><em>A large husky bounded into the room, tongue hanging out, and large white fluffy tail wagging furiously. Dark, intelligent eyes looked at everyone. Sushi gave a bright woof. <em>

_Kiba was immediately taken to the dog. "Man, Kaien, that dog is a beauty. D'awww, you cute little thing, you good girl. I think Akamaru will like you a lot!"_

* * *

><p>Naruto was on his tenth bowl of spicy beef ramen when two figures stepped through the threshold and into the kitchen. One was extremely short, and the other towering towered over the first. Naruto grinned at the newcomers. The taller one stepped into the light, revealing bright orange hair in stubborn spikes, dark brown eyes, and a well-defined chin. The somewhat typical frown dissolved into a grin. "Yo."<p>

The second figure, with dark raven hair, stepped up next to Ichigo. Her dark blue eyes lit up with excitement as she noticed Naruto. "I see you finally decided to pay us a visit. Been a long time, hasn't it?"

Naruto stood up, though somewhat reluctant to leave his ramen untended. "Guys, this is Kurosaki Ichigo and his partner in crime, Kuchiki Rukia. And I take risk in saying," he coughed, and laughed nervously, "that they are probably closer than that—"-"

He was cut off as Ichigo came storming after him, and the two disappeared in hot pursuit of each other. Neji gave a twitch, while Kiba looked up from the ground where he was playing with Sushi. "Say what?"

Rukia sighed in exasperation. "Nothing. Boys are being boys again. Sadly, Byakuya-nii-sama isn't here to keep them in line. But," she smiled, "Nice to meet you two. Welcome to Karakura's famous weapons' dealer, stocked with materials arsenal and other stuff materials. I'll assume that you guys came with Naruto to get supplies?"

Neji nodded thankfully. At least someone made sense in this hectic world. "Yeah. Though I'd like to wonder how you guys put up Naruto."

They all laughed, even Hitsugaya, who let out a snort of laughter. He ran his hand through his white spikes. "Well, I suppose we put up in the way you guys did. Even though Karin had quite an issue with his constant habit of chucking sharp objects at the wall and leaving marks all over the place. That was his way of coping, I guess."

"WHY YOU LITTLE—"

Hanataro gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, that was expected."

There was a crash, some avid cursing, and some more shouts. Somewhere, a door slammed loudly, and the wood echoed echoing its displeasure at being hit. Kaien, Rangiku, and Gin rolled their eyes. Rangiku sighed dramatically. "I knew this was going to happen the minute that Naruto and Ichigo came into contact with each other. It's like trying to call Toshiro by his first name."

Renji snorted. "Like hell. Strawberry's like that all the time."

Toshiro coughed. "Look who's talking. I was under the impression that when Naruto isn't here to occupy Ichigo's apparent free time, you're the one who clashes with him all the time."

Yuzu popped over from the kitchen with a grin. "I agree. Nii-san's like that."

Kiba looked from each person, wonder growing on his face as he listened. Sushi lay in his lap, tail wagging contently. "It must've been hard on you guys. At least Naruto only clashes with the jocks in our school. And he never told us how awesome you guys are."

Gin shrugged, a sinuous ripple of muscles. "Well, he is blond, I suppose."

* * *

><p>Kisame frowned. He was surprised by how little Sasuke actually brought with him, considering he was an Uchiha, though Itachi didn't really carry much either. When he decided to clear up his confusion, he asked Sasuke, who told him that his furniture and other junk had already been shipped over. When further pestered by the shark man, Sasuke told him that he was an efficient packer.<p>

At least the little twerp was willing to carry two of his cases and his backpack, which was slung on one shoulder. Kisame tugged around the third case, which was as heavy as the others. Wasn't too bad, considering the circumstances. Sasuke was slightly chattier than Itachi, who was, most definitely, the most iciest icy and emo dude he's he'd seen yet, though loyal and trustable dependable.

When they bypassed all the usual traditions of the customs and other processes, Itachi turned around, who had noticed Kisame's small glint of confusion. "It's the privileges that come with being an Uchiha."

Kisame sighed. Of course. If you knew an Uchiha, were friends with one, associated with one, worked for one, or happened to be one, then you then had a huge bunch chock-full of new rights that other people _never_ got. At least he was included in the bunch. Usually though, people didn't bother messing with him in the first place.

"Hey, Kisame?"

Said person looked up. He glanced at Sasuke. "What?"

Sasuke shrugged. "If it wasn't too rude, I wanted to know how you got to know my socially messed up brother."

Kisame grinned, his sharp teeth lined lining up perfectly, and looking more like a shark who found something to chow on. "Well, he's my partner in crime. Even though he struck me as an introverted hermit with depression when I was first paired with him. He's a good man though. I wouldn't have him as my enemy, any time, any day."

Itachi's usual blank face was in place, though the barest hints of annoyance had begun to leak through, like the occasional twitch. He finally broke when Kisame began telling Sasuke about the day that he, Itachi, had somehow irked off Zetsu, and had an issue with his hair being green for several days. "Kisame?"

Kisame glanced at his partner, breaking the conversation that he and Sasuke somehow struck up a few minutes ago. He raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Apathetically, Itachi replied, though it was laced with threats untold. "Shut up."

Uncharacteristically for both of them, Kisame and Sasuke both dissolved into laughter, have having managed to annoy Itachi enough so that he had told them to shut up, and with the as well as the excessive twitching as a bonus. Itachi did a mental face plant on the ground and stayed there. Reserved for the times when the his palm and the wall wasn't weren't enough to contain the fail.

* * *

><p><em>Back in Konoha, in Naruto's house on the hills…<em>

Several occupants woke to an unprecedented scene when they woke up in the living room. Shino and Sai were up early, and what they witnessed was shocking.

Wouldn't anyone be if they woke up to the sight of Gaara still sleeping, and snuggling with a stuffed raccoon cradled in his arms? As well as the sight Lee calmly snoozing away, somehow without rambling about youth and springtime joy in his sleep?

But really, the shock was Gaara. Peacefully snoozing away on the couch, swaddled in a bunch of fluffy blankets and several pillows. It took years off his pale, delicate face, and there was this an innocence that they would probably never see again. Then he mumbled incoherently, and Shino and Sai froze with trepidation.

But Gaara only turned over, his t-shirt getting rumpled in the process. It was the overdose of the cuteness that finally had Sai running to the bathroom, desperately trying to hold back a rush of blood that was threatening to spray out. Shino facepalmed.

Shikamaru gave a snore, and Shino sighed. Lazy bastard was sound asleep, and would probably not awake until noon, or after. At least he had some sense to drug Lee's food, so now the green monster should would leave them in peace, at least until tomorrow. Hopefully.

Said limped back, a wad of tissues barely holding back a waterfall of blood. In a congested whisper, he asked Shino. , "I quite frankly have never seen Gaara that peaceful. And that's an understatement. Where's the camera? I'm gonna somehow sneak a few pictures."

Shino sighed again. He didn't know why he was going along with it. Maybe it'll would get him killed one day, but he found the prospect interestedinteresting.

He handed Sai his best most professional camera, after fitting the best lens for the situation. "Just don't destroy the camera. It's one of my best."

Being the artist he was, Sai was a surprisingly adept photographer as well. The shots were well placed, well angled, and captured the innocence that radiated off the sleeping figure. The raccoon was caught in the photos as well.

Sai brightened. "Well, that's those were some rather good shots. Now you just to have to hide it."

Shino wordlessly took the camera back and slid it into his suitcase. If Gaara had to find it, then let that day not be today. Or at least until Naruto came back.

"Let's go back to sleep. That way, it won't seem suspicious."

Both snuggled back into the burrow of blankets . Sai and Shino and the two soon forgot about the photos taken as they drifted off.

* * *

><p>There was a sharp crack that echoed across the room when Yuzu rapped Naruto smartly on the head with a ladle. Then, without looking away, she swung the ladle again, and rapped Ichigo on the head soundlyloudly. Naruto winced. He really shouldn't have pissed her off. Now his ramen was in danger.<p>

"You two should really know better than this. Especially after how many years of having Kaien chasing you guys down?"

Kiba, who was off to the side with Kaien and Sushi, stifled a laugh. "Really?"

Kaien nodded solemnly. "As always. After about ten minutes, Yuzu forces me to go and drag them back."

Sushi barked her agreement. Meanwhile, Neji sat at the table with Toshiro, Karin, and Rangiku, who were all playing random card games to pass time while Yuzu disciplined the two with her famous ladle, which, coupled with her accuracy, was undefeatable.

Neji couldn't help but let a rare half grin rise to his face. "Does it always end like that?"

Gin walked by with the tea, refilling the cups before joining the bunch. "It really does. Though, sometimes, when Kaien's pissed off, he'll beat them up first."

All self-control slipped, and Neji _laughed._ Kiba and Naruto had such alarmed looks that it wasn't funny.

"What the hell? Did I just hear the ice block of Konoha _laugh_?"

Naruto, who was in the kitchen, couldn't help but crane his neck and try to get a glimpse of Neji. "I don't believe that. Kiba, are you _sure?_ Like, absolutely certain that he laughed?"

He was promptly whacked by the ladle again. Yuzu seem to tower before him. "You don't look away while I'm talking. Even if it concerns a Hyuuga who happened to laugh."

Naruto's eyes bugged out. "But it's a _Hyuuga_ we're talking about!"

He practically screeched, and Gin grinned. "But Yuzu's always more important."

Kaien winked at Kiba. "Even if it does happen to involve a Hyuuga."

Neji was now desperately trying to contain his laughter. It had been so long since he last laughed. Surely, he could keep it under control for another minute or two, like he had done so for all those years. But once again, he failed. Laughter burst across the room, and Kiba and Naruto looked like they were about to die.

Toshiro raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, other than hesitantly give a small grin. "Looks like he's gone hysterical."

Rangiku patted Neji on the back. "It's okay. Laughter is good for you."

Neji managed to recover in about a minute, which was long enough for Naruto and Ichigo both toto both get rapped three times each on the head. He coughed. "I'm fine. Just overreacting to the thought of one of the mighty street lords of Konoha being cowed by a girl with a ladle,"

"Which isn't a bad thing," he added, secretly slightly frightened at the prospect of being hit over and over by the ladle. Yuzu yelled a thanks, and the others laughed.

Toshiro threw a card onto the table. "So, what are you guys looking for? We have a lot of selections of for weapons."

Neji and Kiba shrugged. Neji flipped through his cards. "Well, I don't normally use guns, but I just want to know the good ones. And for different purposes, since we're headed into the darker side of society, and I don't want to be caught without a gun."

Kiba nodded. "Yeah."

Toshiro looked ticked at this statement. "Well, I suppose we can try and explain different guns tomorrow. Then you can try them in the firing range we have."

One of Naruto's random questions managed to drift through. "What about some nukes?"

There was another sharp crack, and everyone winced.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Life's good, ain't it? Gotta be afraid of Yuzu and her ladle...much?

Tatsuhiro: ...Terrified. I fully sympathize with Naruto.

Dracen: [Takes a ladle and whacks Tatsuhiro on the head.] It actually does work pretty well...

Syaoran: No.

Well, reviews people~ Tell me how you thought of it. And if you don't remember what happens to flames, please refer to my profile.

Makes my life worth it all. XD

And I'll try to hurry up and get chapter 6 up soon. O o Action starts then, and our favorite little kitsune bumps into Duck-Butt. [Had to refer to someone's idea...]


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